Notification of possibility of heavy contact with infected person's QR code in public facilities and restaurants

Notification of possibility of heavy contact with infected person QR code at public facilities and restaurants June 13 13:32

As a measure against the new coronavirus, efforts are being made by local governments across the country to use smartphones and QR codes to notify people who came at the same time when an infected person comes out in a public facility or restaurant.

In Kanagawa Prefecture, which we started working on at the end of last month, more than 10,000 stores and facilities have participated by the 12th.

QR codes are posted at stores and facilities, and when a visitor reads it with a smartphone, the place and date and time are recorded in the prefecture system. And when an infected person comes out, the LINE app sends a notification to those who are in the store at the same time and who the public health center determines that there is a possibility of heavy contact to contact the public health center. is.

Fumihiro Hasegawa, owner of a cafe in Minami-ku, Yokohama, who participates in the initiative, said, ``We have taken thorough infection prevention measures, but even if an infected person comes out, we can immediately trace it, so it is safe for visitors I am grateful for the connection. I want many stores and people to use it."

Similar efforts using the QR code are being introduced one after another in local governments nationwide such as Tokyo and Osaka Prefecture, and with the aim of restarting business operations at public and commercial facilities, we aim to prevent the spread of infection in the future.

On the other hand, in Kanagawa prefecture, the participating stores are only about 9% of the total number of restaurants as of the 12th, and how to increase the number of stores and facilities that cooperate with each other has become an issue.

As for these measures, the country will soon start to provide an app that notifies people who may have been in heavy contact, using smartphone communication technology called Bluetooth.

Initiatives in each region

In addition to Kanagawa Prefecture, efforts to record data of people who visit stores and facilities using QR codes are introduced by Tokyo, Osaka, Hokkaido, Miyagi, Gifu, Shiga, etc. ..

In the case of Tokyo, which started its efforts on the 12th, if multiple infected people were found in a reopened museum, museum, library, etc., people who visited the facility at the same time would be notified by email or LINE. I will.

In addition, in Osaka Prefecture, which started its activities from the end of last month, when a certain scale of infection occurs in restaurants, leisure facilities, event venues, etc., we will notify you by email, call attention to physical condition management and call a consultation center. ..

These efforts by local governments do not require the QR code to be posted on private stores, and it is also optional whether the visitor reads the code and registers the information.

We also consider the privacy of each municipality by limiting the information to be registered to email addresses instead of names and telephone numbers, and by hiding the store name for notification of infected persons.

On the other hand, what the country is planning to launch soon is an app that uses smartphone communication technology called Bluetooth. The app anonymizes the data and records it on the device when the users are within 1 meter for more than 15 minutes.

And if the user is infected, if the user registers the infection in the application, it will automatically notify people who may have been in heavy contact.

The efforts of national apps and municipal QR codes are aimed at urging notified people to contact the public health center and take measures to prevent the spread of infection from themselves, and it has started in other countries. I am.

Use QR code in Korea

In South Korea earlier this month, when a mass infection occurred in a night club in Seoul, false records were being made one after another on the customer list created by the store, making it difficult to identify the visitors.

In response to this, the mechanism that uses the QR code was introduced on the 10th of this month for nightclubs and karaoke.

The QR code is used to identify an individual and uses an Internet service to enter the mobile phone number and generate it in advance. Present it at the entrance of the store.

By using this to manage customer information, when an infected person appears, it is possible to quickly find the person who may have been contacted.

If the facility fails to respond, a fine of up to 3 million won (approx. 270,000 yen) will be imposed, and the business may be suspended. Also, the personal information collected will be deleted after 4 weeks.

On the other hand, Korean media reported that the efforts to present the QR code were not well known in advance and there was confusion at the scene.

Public stop in Singapore

In Singapore, a system called "Safe Entry" that utilizes QR codes has been introduced since late April.

Currently, supermarkets, medical institutions, schools, etc. are obliged to install this system, and when entering or leaving the place, use a QR code or ID card to record the name, time, ID number, etc.

In the case of Singapore, when infection with the new coronavirus is confirmed, the location and time of the person's stopover are extracted from the data, and such information is published on the Ministry of Health website.

In Singapore, we have also introduced a contact confirmation application that uses a smartphone to notify people who may have been in heavy contact with the infected person, and by using these measures together, we are trying to lead to early detection of infected people. is.

Expert "Increasing transparency is essential"

The purpose of the system that utilizes the QR code is not to call people who are at risk of infection broadly, but to notify the registered people directly so that it can be linked to countermeasures.

In addition, it has been pointed out that 60% of the people of the country need to use it in order for the apps that the country provides to be effective. It is expected that the effect will be enhanced if the usage is expanded.

On the other hand, while some countries overseas require installation using personal information, the efforts of local governments in Japan place voluntary use with a focus on privacy, so participating stores and registration The issue is how to increase the number of people who do it.

Professor Tatsuhiko Yamamoto of Keio University, who is familiar with how data is used and how privacy is protected, says, "Using data is an important means for living with a coronavirus, and it may become a new habit. In order for as many people as possible to participate in the efforts to be effective measures, it is essential for the local government to increase transparency regarding protection of privacy, etc. and to clearly inform the people to be notified of the actions to be taken. No."